Sabres advance to second round of playoffs for the first time in 18 seasons

[p]It was the longest active drought in the NHL and marked the first time the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/buffalo-sabres/UobjtMIP/"]Sabres[/a] won a series-clinching game on the road since the 2007 playoff run, when they defeated the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-rangers/O4zxeyWN/"]New York Rangers[/a] in Game 6 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.[/p][p]They'll await the winner between the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tampa-bay-lightning/YVE3zk1c/"]Tampa Bay Lightning[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/montreal-canadiens/nu2G7VWc/"]Montreal Canadiens[/a], who are heading to a Game 7.[/p][p]Goaltender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lyon-alex/f5NTIM3H/"]Alex Lyon[/a], who took over for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/luukkonen-ukko-pekka/zmFi40uk/"]Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen[/a] in Game 2, has yet to allow more than two goals in a game these playoffs, going 1-1-2-1 in the final four games of the series. [/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/boston-bruins/jeans23J/"]Boston[/a] has now been bounced out of the first round three times in the last five years. [/p][h2]Recap & Highlights[/h2][p]The Sabres had the chance to clinch their first-round series win for the first time since 2007, and they made sure to get on the board first. [/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tuch-alex/fi2K37wb/"]Alex Tuch[/a] scored his fourth goal of the series just 3:25 into Game 6 to give the Sabres an early [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/boston-bruins-jeans23J/buffalo-sabres-UobjtMIP/?mid=E374Zo2t"]1-0[/a] lead. [/b][/p][p]He became the fourth Sabres player in the past two decades to record three or more road goals in a single playoff series, joining [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vanek-thomas/SML16MyD/"]Thomas Vanek[/a] (2011), Stu Barnes (1999), and Michal Grosek (1998). [/p][embed guid="4c4a17c1-592c-4293-aaff-c35df42f3fa6" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UHFmA9A1HA" social-type="youtube" /][p]Buffalo wouldn't waste any time doubling their lead. [/p][p][b]This time around, it was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/samuelsson-mattias/ML8sCJsA/"]Mattias Samuelsson[/a] who scored his second of the series to make it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/boston-bruins-jeans23J/buffalo-sabres-UobjtMIP/?mid=E374Zo2t"]2-0[/a] with the Sabres' sixth shot on goal for the game.[/b][/p][p]To no surprise, the Sabres finished the first period going 0-for-2 on the power play.[/p][p]It marked the 152nd time the Bruins faced a multi-goal deficit in the playoffs - they only went on to win four times. [/p][embed guid="8b9b1108-7530-4234-9dda-447aee1e149e" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2050366208906518992?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]But Boston pulled within one just two minutes into the second period.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pastrnak-david/dnZgEHz4/"]David Pastrnak[/a] scored his third goal of the series to make it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/boston-bruins-jeans23J/buffalo-sabres-UobjtMIP/?mid=E374Zo2t"]2-1[/a][/b]. He joined [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/marchand-brad/zDWpAiQ9/"]Brad Marchand[/a] (10), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lucic-milan/dMXtBXA3/"]Milan Lucic[/a] (10), and David Krejci (9) to score eight or more career playoff goals in Game 6 and Game 7 combined. [/p][embed guid="25a7fcf4-7269-41de-94e1-a3a047025e67" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2050375761387774057?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The second period had a 9:13 stretch without a single whistle, surpassing the seven minutes from the Canadiens-Lightning Game 6 that was going on at the same time. [/p][p]Buffalo failed on their third power play of the night after Boston's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/geekie-morgan/YaldagM6/"]Morgan Geekie[/a] recorded the only penalty (interference) of the second period. [/p][p]And, like the start of the previous two periods, the third would start off with another goal in the first six minutes. [/p][p][b]This time, it came from Buffalo's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/benson-zach/8hvfmoQc/"]Zach Benson[/a], who scored his second of the playoffs to make it a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/boston-bruins-jeans23J/buffalo-sabres-UobjtMIP/?mid=E374Zo2t"]3-1[/a] game with 14:02 left. [/b][/p][p]Both teams had exchanged exactly 21 goals at that point, but it was the Sabres who would go on to prove victorious as they advanced to the second round following a [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norris-josh/hEIOCK2D/"]Josh Norris[/a] empty-netter to make it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/boston-bruins-jeans23J/buffalo-sabres-UobjtMIP/?mid=E374Zo2t"]4-1[/a][/b], also his first goal of the series.[/p][embed guid="ba3fa694-7d22-420e-9ad9-0e5a34f46b26" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJlqP4B0ma4" social-type="youtube" /]